(Reuters) – The US is anticipated to raise a ban on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, doubtlessly within the coming weeks, the Monetary Instances reported on Sunday.

Washington has already signaled to Saudi Arabia that it was ready to raise the ban, the newspaper reported, citing an individual acquainted with the matter.

Quickly after taking workplace in 2021, Biden adopted a harder stance over Saudi Arabia’s marketing campaign in opposition to the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, which has inflicted heavy civilian casualties, and over Riyadh’s human rights report, particularly the 2018 killing of Washington Publish journalist and political opponent Jamal Khashoggi.

Saudi Arabia, the most important U.S. arms buyer, has chafed below these restrictions, which froze the type of weapons gross sales that earlier U.S. administrations had supplied for many years.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday stated the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been very near concluding a set of agreements on nuclear power, safety and protection cooperation, the bilateral element of a wider normalisation cope with Riyadh and Israel.

Nevertheless, lifting the ban on offensive weapons gross sales weren’t straight linked to those talks, FT stated.

The White Home and Saudi Arabia’s authorities communication workplace didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters request for remark.